From Diahann Carroll to Kerry Washington

Diahann Carroll happily passed the torch to Kerry Washington as black actresses starring in their own TV series and nominated for Emmys.

The 78-year-old actress just wishes it hadn’t taken 45 years to happen.

”I feel we’re a little behind, we need to catch up,” Carroll said Sunday on the Emmy red carpet.

Carroll was the first black actress to star in her own show who didn’t play a domestic worker. Her role as a nurse in ”Julia” earned her an Emmy nomination in1969.

Washington stars in ”Scandal,” and was nominated in the lead actress category in a drama.

”We’re all very grateful to the Emmys because they’ve been on our side,” Carroll said, referring to the show’s recognition of African-Americans. ”At the same time, we’d like it to be a little more with what’s going on in the world.”